Human Psychopharmacology Clinical and Experimental
January 1, 2020
Patricia Acosta, Joseph J. Palamar
44 citations
Interviews with 39 adults who had used psychedelic phenethylamines and tryptamines revealed the subjective effects of 36 different compounds. 2C-B was the most commonly used phenethylamine and was often described as more favorable than other 2C series drugs, with effects comparable to MDMA and LSD. NBOMe effects were generally unfavorable, and DOx effects were often reported as lasting 12 to 36 hours, which was considered too long. Among tryptamines, 4-AcO-DMT was most prevalent and was often described as mimicking psilocybin. These findings can inform education, prevention, and harm reduction efforts.
American Journal on Addictions
September 27, 2018
Joseph J. Palamar, Austin Le
35 citations
Tryptamine use among US young adults ages 18–25 is rare but rose from 0.2% in 2007/08 to 0.7% in 2013/14—a 273% relative increase. Prevalence was substantially higher among people who used other drugs, especially psychedelics: among past-year ecstasy users it rose from 2.1% to 10.0%, and among LSD users from 7.0% to 15.5%. The increase occurred across all demographic groups. The authors suggest that users of other drugs, particularly those with psychedelic effects, can be targeted for safety information.
The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse
September 3, 2023
Joseph J. Palamar
29 citations
A drug concoction called tusi, also known as “pink cocaine,” has emerged in Latin America, Europe, and now the United States. Despite its name—a phonetic translation of “2C” psychedelics—multiple drug checking studies show that tusi rarely contains 2C series drugs. Instead, most samples contain ketamine, often mixed with MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, opioids, or new psychoactive substances. This mislabeling confuses users, who may unknowingly consume a variety of drugs, increasing the risk of adverse effects. It also complicates research, as self-reported use undercounts exposure to substances like ketamine and MDMA. Combining self-reports with toxicological testing may yield more accurate estimates. Education about tusi’s actual contents and dangers is needed for both users and researchers.
The International journal on drug policy
June 1, 2025
Joseph J. Palamar
7 citations
Ketamine use is rising sharply among nightclub attendees in New York City. From 2017 to 2024, lifetime use increased by 36.7% (from 16.6% to 22.7%), past-year use by 94.0% (from 7.4% to 14.3%), and past-month use by 118.1% (from 3.1% to 6.8%). The largest increases in past-month use occurred among people aged 26 or older (up 222.0%), females (up 216.6%), those with a college degree (up 161.0%), bisexual or other sexuality individuals (up 445.0%), and those who also used cocaine, ecstasy/MDMA, or LSD in the past month. Identifying as gay or lesbian and past-month cocaine use were strongly associated with higher odds of past-month ketamine use. The authors suggest that prevention and harm reduction efforts should be increased.
Drug and alcohol review
May 1, 2024
Nicole D. Fitzgerald, Joseph J. Palamar
5 citations
Among adults entering randomly selected electronic dance music events in New York City, the proportion who had tested their ecstasy with a drug testing kit in the past year rose from 23.1% in 2017 to 43.1% in 2022, an 86.6% increase. Among those who tested, the share who always tested their drug rose from 31.2% to 60.6%. The proportion who found out or suspected their ecstasy was adulterated fell from 59.6% to 18.4%, with suspected methamphetamine adulteration dropping from 21.9% to 3.6%. The findings indicate growing use of drug testing kits and decreasing suspected adulteration, supporting the need for formal drug checking services.
Drug and alcohol review
September 1, 2023
Joseph J. Palamar
5 citations
Among people who attend electronic dance music parties in New York City, experiencing a harmful or very unpleasant effect after using cocaine or ecstasy in the past month was associated with a lower willingness to use the same drug again in the next month. For cocaine, the adjusted prevalence ratio was 0.58, and for ecstasy, 0.45. Adverse effects from LSD or ketamine did not show a statistically significant association with willingness to use again after adjusting for other factors. The findings suggest that personally experienced adverse effects can deter future use of some party drugs in this high-risk population, and interventions may benefit from highlighting such effects.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 3, 2025
Wayne Kepner, Patricia Dionicio, Katie Bailey et al.
3 citations
About 1 in 20 Asian American and Pacific Islander adults (5.1%) have used ecstasy/MDMA in their lifetime, based on a nationally representative sample from 2015-2020. Females had higher odds of use than males, and adults aged 26-34 had higher odds than those aged 18-25, while those aged 50 or older had lower odds. Lifetime use of other substances—cannabis, ketamine, LSD, cocaine, psilocybin, prescription opioids, and prescription stimulants—was associated with increased odds of ecstasy/MDMA use. Variations by age, sex, family income, substance type, and mental health service use point to the need for targeted public health strategies.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 9, 2025
Joseph J. Palamar, Nicole D. Fitzgerald
2 citations
The DEA proposed placing the psychedelic phenethylamines DOC and DOI into Schedule I. Analysis of DEA seizure data, national survey responses, and scientific literature from 2005 to 2024 found that DOC submissions to forensic labs peaked at 152 in 2012 then dropped to only two in 2023-2024, while only forty DOI submissions were ever recorded, with none since 2019. Self-reported lifetime use of either drug on a nationally representative U.S. survey was below 0.01%. Only three poisonings linked to DOC and none to DOI were found. Availability, recreational use, and poisonings from these substances appear rare.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
August 21, 2023
Caroline Rutherford, Austin Le, Joseph J. Palamar et al.
2 citations
Among nightclub and festival attendees at electronic dance music events in New York City, summer is associated with higher odds of using LSD and psilocybin (shrooms), independent of long-term increases in psilocybin use. Across 15 seasons from summer 2017 through fall 2022, surveys of 3,935 adults found that summer raised the odds of LSD use more than 2.5 times and psilocybin use more than 1.6 times compared to the average across all seasons. Cocaine and ecstasy use decreased over the study period without seasonal variation. The findings suggest summer as a key time for disseminating harm-reduction information for psychedelic users.